The present invention relates to a currency receptacle device, and more particularly to a device which includes means for receiving and storing, in a compact and aligned bundle, bills of paper currency vertically introduced and supported therein. The concept of forming a bill-stacking mechanism, by using an open-ended enclosure having a pair of support plates partially disposed thereacross and a floating plate urged or biased against the support plates, is well known to the art. For example, Bayha, U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,186 discloses a device including a pair of horizontal support plates and a vertically translatable flat plate ram for delivering a supported bill through the open end into the bill stacking enclosure. See also, Douno, U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,669, which discloses a substantially similar apparatus having horizontal support plates.
In an environment where an individual predominantly handles paper currency, these devices represent substantial savings in labor by eliminating the need to manually sort and stack received bills. However, where the individual further handles large quantities of coins, the problem remains how to collect and store these coins while still realizing the labor savings. A separate slot and receptacle could, of course, be provided for receiving coins; however, such an additional slot and receptacle would require time-consuming separation of the currency, as well as provide two separate points of access for a person intent upon breaching the security of the device.
To provide for the reception and storage of all types of currency, both bills and coins, it is considered advantageous to include a chamber for vertically supporting a bill proximate the open end of the bill-stacking enclosure. In this manner a coin receptacle could then be positioned subjacent to the chamber whereby to collect and store coins falling therethrough.
A problem hitherto associated with a vertical bill receiving chamber resides in the fact that the received bill must be supported upon a lateral edge thereof prior to its introduction into the open-end enclosure. Thus, the prior art has found it necessary to impart rigidity to the bills and then support the rigidised bill upon an entire lateral edge. For example, Okkonen, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,260 teaches that rigidity may be imparted by including a pair of corrugated rollers which interdigitate so as to vertically straighten and crease a bill prior to introduction into the bill receiving chamber. As will later be appreciated from the discussion which follows, such additional elements complicate the stacking mechanism and further serve to raise costs of production.
In view of the foregoing, it would be understood that there presently exists the need to provide a device of simple and low cost construction which readily accepts, through a single point of access, all manner of paper and metal currency. Such a device must be capable of providing reliable operation over prolonged periods of time and should, in those circumstances where the introduction of currency is intermittent, further be amenable to manual operation. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device adapted to simultaneously receive and store all manner of currency.
Another object is to provide a device adapted to receive all manner of currency through a single slot.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device including a bill-receiving chamber adapted to vertically receive bills and provide support thereof without first having to impart lateral rigidity to the bills.
A still further object is to provide a device readily adaptable for use in either an automatic or manual mode.
And a still further object of the present invention is to provide a currency receptacle device which is of simple and inexpensive construction and which is capable of providing reliable operation over prolonged periods of time.
The above and other objects will be readily appreciated by reference to the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.